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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Challenge of Music Blog Hop

This Hop, hosted by the very talented Miss Erin over at Treasures Found, seemed to be right up my alley. My only two obsessions are jewelry and music. I weaned myself off my shoe obsession so I could afford more CDs and concert tickets and beads. I figured I sit when I bead and I sit when I pour over the liner notes while listening to CDs so I really didn't need the shoes anyway.

Challenge of Music.I didn't think it would be much of a challenge.I was wrong.When certain things click and flow, something else is bound to trip me up.In this case, it was the photography...a geode slice, Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, matte hematite rounds, steel size 15 seed beads, and a silver tone button. Not easy to photograph all that grey and sparkle. I could write a short story on the photo session this necklace and I had. It was a 3 day affair. The dog was even in on it.

Onto the Music and the Beadwork. It has been a few minutes without either one and I am needing a fix.

"Now I could sing you, um, a really tender song filled with despair, or a really weary song laced with hope. What's your pleasure?" ~ Jackson Browne

Well, that about sums up my musical taste right there.

I could write a post a day for the next several years on the musicians I escape with every day. I have a very incomplete list on the profile page of my blog, but it will give you an idea of what fuels my days and nights.

For this hop, all the pieces fell right into the guitar strings of two of my many loves: Gram Parsons singing "A Song for You" and Jackson Browne singing "The Times You've Come". Gram has long been my Muse. When I can't get anything right or lack any original thoughts, I put Gram in the stereo and a door opens wide. His lonely, aching voice sounds like a tear rolling down my cheek. He is loveliness and tragedy. And looked real good in a Nudie Suit! Google Image will show you what I mean!

Jackson just reaches in and takes hold and is full of poetry and beauty and double entendres. What comes out of his guitar and mouth truly is a window to my soul. Seeing him in concert, once with just him and his 30+/- guitars, another time with David Lindley and the rest of his band, was as close to Nirvana as I can hope to ever come. Nothing in the music world can top that experience. It was as much about the music as it was about the stories between songs and how he encouraged audience participation and his fantastic sense of humor. And the way he pronounces his "R"s gets me every time :-)

The piece itself came together with relative ease. I actually wanted it more stripped down than it is, but opted for a very brief pop of color and complexity. Maybe that is where Emmylou Harris joins Gram in the song or where Bonnie Raitt joins Jackson singing "You might try to find your way up around it, but the need for love will still remain". The weaving just came as the chords on the guitar. It was a natural chord progression in my mind. And the Geode...a glimpse into the soul. The darkness and shine and jagged edges. And maybe the camera knew what it was doing, not letting me capture that geode in all its subtlety and glory. Because we can never really see all the parts of someone's soul. We can only hope to catch tiny bits of the depths and sparkle.

"The Times You've Come"~~~Jackson Browne

In the time we've known that we each are a part of one anotherWe've lost as much as we have wonAnd as our lives have grown we have found that it only brings us painTo hang on to the things that we have doneStill I love the times you've come

When you went away taking all thatI'd built my false road onI dropped my life and couldn't find the piecesNow you come and go and it's hard but I feel my strength returningWe'll see how far this new road reachesWe'll see a little more each time we come

Now everybody's gonna tell you it's not worth itEverybody's gotta show you their own painYou might try to find your way up around itBut the need for love will still remain

Now we're lying here so safe in the ruins of our pleasuresLaughter marks the place where we have fallenAnd our lives are near so it wouldn't occur to us to wonderIs this the past or the future that is callingYou know I've loved these times you've come

(skip to minute 2 in the video then enjoy the song and where he messed up. reminds me of tearing apart jewelry and starting again)

"A Song for You"~~~Gram Parsons

Oh my land is like a wild gooseWanders all around everywhereTrembles and it shakes till every tree is looseIt rolls the meadows and it rolls the nailsSo take me down to your dance floorAnd I wont mind the people when they starePaint a different color on your front doorAnd tomorrow we will still be there

Jesus built a ship to sing a song toIt sails the rivers and it sails the tideSome of my friends don't know who they belong toSome can't get a single thing to work insideSo take me down to your dance floorAnd I wont mind the people when they starePaint a different color on your front doorAnd tomorrow we will still be there

I loved you every day and now I'm leavingAnd I can see the sorrow in your eyesI hope you know a lot more than you're believingJust so the sun don't hurt ou when you crySo take me down to your dance floorAnd I wont mind the people when they starePaint a different color on your front doorAnd tomorrow we will still be thereAnd tomorrow we will still be there

I am laughing at myself right now. All I was going to do was post song lyrics and pictures. I guess I just couldn't help myself!!!

What a beautiful necklace! Really fun piece. The bead weaving and clasp are stunning. I adore geode slices, so I was drawn to that immediately. It was fun to read about your music inspirations and see how you interpreted them.

I love it!! The necklace is gorgeous- that geode....so pretty! And I love your writing- that was so lovely! Excellent job! (and photographing it with the boot totally gave the whole post a great vibe!)

Maybe its the boot - which seems so appropriate as a backdrop for Jackson Browne - but I see this with a denim shirt belted over a tank - Sundance style. As always I love what magic you weave with the humble seed beads! Thanks for sharing!

I love this lyric by Gram: "Oh my land is like a wild gooseWanders all around everywhereTrembles and it shakes till every tree is loose" and his haunting, yearning voice. Almost like devotional singing. Thanks for introducing his work to me and seeing it manifest in a beautiful necklace!

Hi Christine,I love your piece as I listened to your song choices I went back and looked at the necklace and it made me feel like I was meandering down a country road and stopping every once in a while to gaze at a beautiful sight along the road. I love the color scheme you chose the little pops of red really set it off.Therese

Gorgeous necklace! I am in awe of anyone with a talent for beads and thread (I don't possess the patience or talent). I've seen Jackson Browne four times in concert, the last was in a more intimate auditorium setting. He didn't have a set list, just the guitars and a couple of musicians accompanying him. He asked the audience to shout out song titles for him to sing. It was amazing (and a long time ago). Thanks for that walk down memory lane; his music was the background of my high school years and twenties!

Brilliant inspiration songs, Miss Christine! I have to admit that I was unfamiliar with Gram Parsons. I love the folksy quality to his voice and the lyrics are very poetic. And you know I had to look up the nudie suit! Hubba-hubba! I do like Jackson Browne. And Bonnie Rait is a firecracker. Her songs move me. There is something so intimate and raw about live music especially in a venue like this that is totally unplugged. That is the best kind of music to me. That geode is just WOW! I love it! And I think your story about the photography foibles is something we can all relate to. The bottom line is that you made something so soulful and beautiful. I love the ripple effect of the beads, like sound waves. So wonderful Miss Christine! I am so glad you could play along with me!Enjoy the day!Erin

Although I'm more of a rocker when it comes to music, I did have the pleasure of seeing Jackson Browne in concert and I do enjoy his music. The songs you chose and the necklace you created are really lovely Christine. I love the beaded chain and the pops of red color ... and it looks great on that leather boot! Beautiful!

Grrrr. I'm having trouble with the videos as I'm having to use my iPad because my desktop has no speakers and the earphones stopped working. This is frustrating beyond all belief. So, unfortunately I wasn't able to hear but a snippet of either song. Sigh.I WAS able to see your necklace though. Photography trouble or not, I definitely get the 'stripped down' feeling you mentioned. It's really a lovely piece! Nicely done. 😄

oh I remember this post! and I do love that stitch (that you showed me ... the ole zig zag!) This was a great post and beautiful piece. And as I recall this is exactly when we met .... I was in New Zealand at the time of this hop

About Me

I bead, listen to music, drink coffee, bead, listen to music, eat, bead, listen to music, drink Manhattans, bead, listen to music, walk, bead, listen to music, read, bead, listen to music, and collect rocks. I lead a simple life and am just happy to be (ad) :-D